ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that Great Britain was forged in the crucible of empire, and that its territorial expansion overseas, as well as its successes in trade, made it a model not only for modern colonialism but also for the operations of racial capitalism. These processes transformed the lives of those who lived in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England, as they did—in much more pernicious ways—the lives of those who lived in North America, the Caribbean, West Africa, and parts of Asia. An Anglo-centric Britain came into being, with “English Literature” providing a powerful expression of its supremacist values.
